Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
Theo
THREE WEEKS LATER
“Welcome to Motor Yacht Mayet’s Mate. I am Captain Travis, and this is your Chief Stew, Sammie. She will show you around.”
Aria looks up to me and smiles. Ever since she watched that Bravo TV show, she has wanted to be on a yacht in the Med.
We take the glasses of champagne offered to us and board the boat.
The boat is newly renovated, and while it is gorgeous, I can't take my eyes off Aria.
She takes it all in, amazed by all the little details.
I don't think she has realized that we are not just on vacation.
I thought having her fill out the preference sheet would have been a huge giveaway.
While she has said she wanted to be on a yacht, the immediate planning of a trip could have been a huge red flag.
Aria has decided she would like to lie out on the sundeck as we leave the port. Whatever she wants, she will get. I offer to go order us drinks, and of course, she is requesting a Dr. Pepper. We are on a luxury yacht, and she wants her favorite soda. I lift her chin and place my lips against hers.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” She has called me Daddy thousands of times since we met, and it still has heat pool in my chest.
I make my way inside to the bar where Sammie is standing. She looks to see if Aria followed me in.
“Is now a good time to discuss tomorrow’s dinner?” she asks quietly. I look back towards where Aria is relaxing.
“Should be.” I smile. I reach into my pocket and pull out a little black box. Sammie lights up.
“May I see?” I open the top showing a pear-cut diamond with two side stones and a diamond rope band. Sammie audibly gasps when she sees it. I did good. Well, I had Mia’s help.
"Can you bring this out with dessert?” I ask, handing over the box.
“Absolutely. We were planning dinner at seven, and you will eat as the sun sets. Then dessert and then…” she looks around before whispering “ proposal and fireworks just as it gets dark.”
“Sounds great, I will have her ready.” I look back over my shoulder, almost forgetting the cover story I used to come inside. “While I am in here, can I grab a Dr. Pepper and a Macallan on the rocks?”
“I’ll bring them out to you,” she replies.
“Can we also get some Ferrero Rochers? She put that on her list, correct?”
“She absolutely did.”
“Thank you.” I walk back out to Aria. I stand back, just taking it all in. I am about to propose to the woman I love.
“We have set dinner up on the main deck, if you would like to take a seat.” Sammie has been amazing today, keeping the secret while also spoiling the shit out of Aria.
Sammie and the other stewardesses somehow convinced Aria “to play dress up” and do a fashion show with some dresses from some local designers, and made sure she wore a white dress to dinner.
They were also able to secretly smuggle a photographer on board. This crew knows what they are doing.
I lead Aria to her seat, pulling out her chair like a gentleman. She knows when something is off, and even I can see I am acting off. This may not be as big a surprise as I was hoping, but it will still be perfect.
As planned, the sun sets as we are finishing dinner. Dessert is brought out, and there in the middle of her dessert plate, surrounded by flakes of edible gold, is the ring. Her ring.
“While we started our relationship with a bang,” I laugh and Aria smiles, “I can’t imagine anything more fitting for the two of us.
From the instant connection to the slow build of trust, every moment with you has been perfect.
” I swallow hard. Aria is watching me with wide eyes while covering her mouth with both hands.
“Thank you for trusting me even when everything inside you told you I would leave. Thank you for letting me show you, time and time again, that you are safe and loved. Thank you for giving me every part of you, from the sassy brat who likes to pick fights, to the soft and vulnerable side when you need comfort.” I pick the ring up off her plate and hold it in front of me.
“When I asked you for blind trust one last time, I promised I would never keep secrets again, and I hope you can forgive me for keeping this one.” I stand from my seat and walk to the side of the table before getting down on one knee.
“Aria Mason, will you marry me?”
“Of course.” She drops her hands from her face, revealing the most beautiful smile. I slide the ring onto her left hand as it trembles softly.
She stands and pulls me up off my knee into one of the purest kisses we have ever shared.
At that moment, fireworks are shot off the horizon, causing Aria to jump into my arms. Flashes of light come from behind us as I hold her tight while she realizes what's going on.
Her arms relax onto my shoulders. My racing heartbeat finally begins to settle as she lets me hold her close and watch the firework show.
The Next Morning
It was bittersweet leaving the yacht. We had such a wonderful time getting away, but Aria is so excited to get home and show off her ring. She has made it clear she wants a long engagement. Not much will change when she walks down the aisle, so there is no reason to rush.
I love being able to give her reassurance that I am not going anywhere, and she doesn't feel like she has to take advantage of it before it is ripped away. We have come so far in the few months we have been together. I can't wait to see where this takes us a few years from now.
I look over at Aria asleep on the plane's couch. There is a bedroom on this plane, but since I had some work to complete, she wanted to stay near me.
“We will be landing shortly. Can I get you anything before we start our descent?” the flight attendant asks as I close my laptop.
“I think we are good. Thank you.” I carefully stand up and walk over to Aria. “Actually, I’m sorry. Can I get a can of Dr. Pepper with a bendy straw?” She smiles and nods before heading to the kitchen.
Kneeling down next to Aria, I whisper, “Hey, baby. We’re going to be landing soon.”
“Mhhmm.”
“Let’s get up Is there anyone you want to call first?”
“You mean you haven't told anyone?” she asks, still half asleep.
“I still haven't told many people we were officially dating.”
“And you're about to hard launch a fiancée.” She smiles.
She stretches her arm before fully sitting up.
She looks around for the soda she had before falling asleep when the attendant returns with a new one.
Her shoulders relax, and she smiles at me.
She holds the cold can in her hands, wiping away the condensation.
“Thank you.”
“Of course.”
“I think it would only be right to call Eddie first.”
“Not Kai?”
“Nope, I’m fairly certain you had to tell him something to give me a week off.”
“Fair.”
The flight lands, and we barely set foot on the tarmac when she has her phone out to FaceTime Eddie.
It rings a few times before Eddie finally answers. The screen is dark, and sounds of shuffling come from his end of the call.
“This better be important, I just left Eden for you.”
“Who is Eden?” Aria asks. I smile. While she is far from innocent, sometimes she is still pretty na?ve.
“Not a who, a where. Hi, Aria, What's up?”
“Are you wearing a leather harness?”
“Don’t act scandalized, I have been in that guest room before.” He smiles, and Aria blushes, but laughs.
“Well, I want to let you get back to Eden, but I wanted to show you what Theo did.”
“Trading battle wounds, are we now?”
“Absolutely not,” I growl. I don't need him to get any ideas. He might like to watch, but Aria is mine.
Aria laughs as she brings her left hand into frame. Her ring taking up a large portion of her hand.
“Oh shit!” Eddie shouts. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you! So I guess you’re stuck with me now, too.”
“Aria, I have liked you more than him since the moment I knew you existed. I will happily be stuck with you.”
Aria laughs before shooing Eddie off the phone. The call ends, and she looks up at me, glowing.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, Baby?”
“Can you take me home?”
“Absolutely.”
The End